Vehicle roof-lining comprising integrated lateral airbag modules for the head

ABSTRACT

The vehicle headliner has integrated head-side airbag modules. Each module has an elongated accommodation housing ( 12 ) for a folded airbag ( 14 ). The accommodation housings ( 12 ) are arranged along the side edges of the headliner ( 10 ). At the side of the headliner ( 10 ), the accommodation housing ( 12 ) is connected to a support structure ( 18 ) that has support ribs and that is joined to the headliner by means of gluing. On the opposite side, facing the vehicle body, the accommodation housing ( 12 ) is covered by a further support structure ( 20 ) having numerous support ribs.

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle headliner with integrated head-side airbag modules.

[0002] Conventional head-side airbag modules are stowed in an elongated accommodation housing along a roof edge of the vehicle, under the headliner. In the activated state, the inflated airbag extends like a curtain from the A-column to the C-column and covers the side windows as well as the B-column. The folded airbag, along with a gas distribution tube, is arranged in the accommodation housing that forms an ejection channel. A generally pyrotechnical gas generator is connected to one free end of the gas distribution tube. The accommodation housing, together with the folded airbag and the gas distribution tube, makes up an autonomous assembly that is mounted under the roof edge of the vehicle before the headliner is put into place.

[0003] The invention proposes integrating the head-side airbag modules into the vehicle headliner. The headliner is installed in the vehicle as an entire assembly, along with the integrated airbag modules. This translates into considerable savings during the assembly at the automobile manufacturer and into a more precise placement of the airbag modules in the vehicle since assembly tolerances are eliminated. The elongated accommodation housings, each for one folded airbag, are arranged along the side edges of the headliner. In the preferred embodiment, the accommodation housings are joined to the headliner, in particular by gluing. In this manner, the position of the accommodation housings relative to the headliner is determined precisely. The set consisting of the headliner and the accommodation housings forms a rigid, easily handled assembly.

[0004] An especially advantageous further development of the invention consists in that, towards the side of the headliner, the accommodation housings are each connected to a support structure that has support ribs and that, in turn, is joined to the headliner. Also, towards the side of the vehicle body, the accommodation housings are preferably connected to a support structure that has support ribs and that is connected to the vehicle body. The support structures provided with numerous support ribs not only reinforce the headliner but rather, the headliner thus configured also offers excellent impact protection that absorbs energy through plastic deformation.

[0005] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention ensue from the description below of preferred embodiments and from the accompanying drawings to which reference is made.

[0006] The drawings show the following:

[0007]FIG. 1—a section of a vehicle headliner in a perspective view;

[0008]FIG. 2—a sectional view of the headliner in the normal state;

[0009]FIG. 3—a sectional view of the headliner after activation of the head-side airbag module that is integrated therein;

[0010]FIGS. 4a to 4 d—schematic sectional views of a shaped part from which an accommodation housing for a folded airbag is formed by folding over along hinge lines; and

[0011]FIG. 5—a perspective partial view of a projection of the headliner with a gas generator arranged on it.

[0012] The section of a headliner for vehicles shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to a side edge area under a roof edge of the vehicle body. The headliner consists of a foamed plastic plate 10 with a flat middle area 10 a and a curved edge area 10 b. Towards the vehicle body, the curved edge area 10 b forms a generally groove-shaped space that accommodates an elongated accommodation housing 12 having a U-shaped cross section for a folded airbag 14. The accommodation housing 12 has two parallel legs that are connected by a curved base. Arranged in the area of the curved base is a gas distribution tube 16 that extends across the entire length of the accommodation housing 12.

[0013] On its side facing the headliner, the accommodation housing 12 is connected to a support structure 18 that lies against the adjacent leg of the accommodation housing; the support structure 18 has a multitude of support ribs spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the accommodation housing 12 and is joined to the headliner 10 by means of gluing. A further support structure 20, which is formed by a multitude of support ribs, is located on the side of the accommodation housing 12 that faces the vehicle body. The support structure 20 is joined to the leg of the accommodation housing 12 that faces away from the headliner 10. The support structure 20 covers the accommodation housing 12 completely and extends beyond it towards the middle of the vehicle. The part of the support structure 20 that projects beyond the accommodation housing 12 is connected over its surface with the headliner 10, especially by means of gluing. Latching elements are provided in order to attach the headliner to the vehicle body; FIG. 1 shows just one such latching element, designated with the reference numeral 22. The latching elements 22 are inserted into appropriate attachment holes in the vehicle body and pressed into place. This results in the envisaged precise fit without any additional measures.

[0014] As is shown in FIG. 2, a weatherstrip 26 is placed on the roof edge of the vehicle body 24, a lip 26 a of said weatherstrip extending beyond the side edge 10 c of the headliner 10. When the pyrotechnical gas generator that is connected to the free end of the gas distribution tube 16 is activated, the legs of the accommodation housing 12 are forced apart, as shown in FIG. 3, the leg of the accommodation housing 12 that presses on the headliner 10 via the support structure 18 moving the side edge area 10 b of the headliner 10 towards the middle of the vehicle. The side edge 10 c of the headliner 10 is then freed from the weatherstrip 26 so that the headliner 10 can yield further and can get out of the way of the airbag which is now unfolding. Due to the U-shaped cross section of the accommodation housing 12, an ejection channel is formed, which aligns the unfolding airbag in the desired unfolding direction.

[0015] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the support structure 20 is provided with a folding line formed by a reduction in the material thickness along the transition to the accommodation housing 12, said folding line being marked by an indication arrow 21 in FIG. 1. The headliner 10 is then also unfolded along this folding line when the airbag module is activated.

[0016] An energy-absorbing impact protection is created by the connection of the headliner and the support structure with the support ribs.

[0017] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the accommodation housing 12—together with at least parts of the support structures 18, 20—is formed of a generally flat shaped body, as shown in FIG. 4a. The shaped body, generally designated with the reference numeral 30 in FIG. 4a, is made of plastic by means of injection molding in the form of an elongated, flat profile part. The shaped body 30 has a first area 30 a in the middle of which a hinge line 32 is formed, a second area 30 b that is formed by connection webs and a third area 30 c which makes up the support structure 18 facing the headliner. At the transition between the areas 30 a and 30 b, there is a second hinge line 34. A third hinge line 36 is located at the transition between the areas 30 b and 30 c. The two halves of the area 30 a are complementary and, when they are folded over onto each other, they together form the accommodation housing 12. FIGS. 4b, 4 c and 4 d show how the various areas 30 a, 30 b and 30 c are folded over together at the hinge lines 32, 34 and 36 in order to create the accommodation housing 12 as well as at least parts of the support structures 18, 20 out of one single shaped body.

[0018] Another special feature that can be seen in FIG. 4 is the design of the inside of the accommodation housing 12. The halves of the area 30 a of the shaped body 30 that are folded over onto each other form a hollow-cylindrical accommodation space 40 at the base for the gas distribution tube 16 and, adjacent to that and separated by webs folded onto each other, a generally cuboid accommodation space 42 for the folded airbag.

[0019] As can be seen in FIG. 5, at the transition to the C-column of the vehicle body, the headliner 10 has a projection 50 on which a pyrotechnical gas generator 52 is situated. The gas generator 52 is connected to the free end of the gas distribution tube 16. The gas generator is attached to the vehicle body by means of two metal fastening plates 54, 56. 

1. A vehicle headliner with integrated head-side airbag modules that have elongated accommodation housings for one folded airbag each and that are arranged along the side edges of the headliner, each of the accommodation housings, together with at least parts of the support structure, being formed of a generally flat shaped body with at least one hinge line that runs in the lengthwise direction, each of the accommodation housings being formed by folding together the shaped body parts on both sides of the hinge line.
 2. A vehicle headliner with integrated head-side airbag modules that have elongated accommodation housings for one folded airbag each and that are arranged along the side edges of the headliner, the accommodation housings each forming an elongated ejection channel having a U-shaped cross section, at least one leg of which lies against a support structure, and each support structure being joined to the leg of the accommodation housing that faces away from the headliner and covering the accommodation housing completely and being extended beyond the latter towards the middle of the vehicle.
 3. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that, towards the side of the vehicle body, the accommodation housings are each connected to a support structure that has support ribs.
 4. The vehicle headliner according to claim 3, characterized in that the support structure is adapted to be connected to the vehicle body in that the headliner with the airbag modules is mounted as a whole onto the vehicle body.
 5. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that the support structure has a multitude of support ribs spaced apart from each other in the lengthwise direction.
 6. The vehicle headliner according to claim 5, characterized in that the support structure is made in one piece with the accommodation housing by means of injection molding.
 7. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that the accommodation housing—together with at least parts of the support structure—is formed of a generally flat shaped body with at least one hinge line that runs in the lengthwise direction, the accommodation housing being formed by folding together the shaped body parts on both sides of the hinge line.
 8. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge line is made in a curved base area that connects the two legs.
 9. The vehicle headliner according to claim 8, characterized in that a further hinge line is formed at an edge of one of the two legs and the support structure connected via this hinge line is folded over onto the leg.
 10. The vehicle headliner according to claim 8, characterized in that, between the support structure and the edge of the leg, connection webs are connected via one hinge line each.
 11. The vehicle headliner according to claim 7, characterized in that the base area connecting the legs of the accommodation housing is made up of two essentially semi-cylindrical shaped parts which, when folded over onto each other along the hinge line, complement each other to form an elongated hollow body.
 12. The vehicle headliner according to claim 11, characterized in that an essentially cuboid accommodation channel for the folded airbag adjoins the hollow body towards the edges of the leg.
 13. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that one rigid gas distribution tube each is arranged along the base of a corresponding accommodation housing.
 14. The vehicle headliner according to claim 11, characterized in that, on a projection of the headliner facing the C-column of the vehicle, there is arranged a gas generator that is connected to the end of the gas distribution tube that protrudes from the accommodation housing.
 15. The vehicle headliner according to claim 12, characterized in that the gas generator is provided with attachment elements for attaching it to a C-column of the vehicle.
 16. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that the support structure is joined to an edge strip of the headliner that extends beyond the accommodation housing towards the middle line of the headliner.
 17. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that the support structure is glued to the headliner across the entire surface.
 18. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that an energy-absorbing impact protection is provided by the connection of the headliner and the support structure having support ribs.
 19. The vehicle headliner according to claim 1, characterized in that the support structure has a folding line formed by a reduction of the material thickness, along which the headliner also unfolds after activation of the airbag module. 